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Steuben County, Indiana
Steuben County is a county located in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. The county was named after Baron von Steuben, a Prussian military officer who helped train the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Today, the county contains a state park and 105 lakes of various sizes. Some of the larger lakes are Lake James, Lake George, Clear Lake, Jimmerson Lake, Lake Gage, and Crooked Lake. As of 2010, the county population was 34,185. The county seat is Angola. History From the 1876 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana:Andreas, Alfred T. (1876). Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Baskin, Forster, Co., Chicago. :The smoke from the first permanent settler's cabin first arose within the present limits of Steuben County in the spring of 1831. That settler was Gideon Langdon. His rude cabin was in the southwest quarter of Section 5, Jackson Township, afterward known as the Town farm. Langdon, on the 17th of September, in the year following, made the first entry of land recorded in the county, being the east half of the quarter named. :It was in what is now Jackson Township that the first settlers mostly located. Jackson Township contains considerable prairie land, and the first immigrants, at a time when their choice was unrestricted, naturally selected the rich, fertile soil there, because of the comparative ease with which it was brought under cultivation. :The next settlers were John and Jacob Stayner, and their families - twelve persons in all. The Stayners came from Ohio, and arrived in Jackson Township on May 16, 1831. John built on the north side of the prairie, and entered the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 5, September 27, 1832, being ten days after Langdon's entry, and the second made in the present limits of the county."There is some dispute as to whether they Stayners or Gideon Langdon settled first, as they all came in at about the same time". History of Steuben County (1885), Inter-State Publishing Co., Chicago. :The two brothers had been soldiers under Jackson in the War of 1812, and were both strong and hearty men. John Stayner lived upon the land entered by him until his death in 1870. He was sent to the Legislature, and the township in which he lived was, at his instance, named Jackson in honor of his old military chieftain. :The first death was that of Mrs. Gideon Langdon, in 1832. The remains were interred in the prairie burying ground, on land that has since passed into the possession of D. H. Roberts. :The first marriage was contracted between James Huntsman and Hannah Davis, in 1832, before the organization of the county. :The first schoolhouse erected in the county was on the north side of Jackson Prairie. Hannah Davis, the first bride in the little community, was the first teacher. The first schoolhouse was a rude tamarack cabin, erected at a cost of about $50, by John Stayner and Adolphus Town. Eliza Eaton was the next teacher, and received $2 for each pupil, that being the tax levied on those sending their children to the school. Steuben County was officially created in 1837 from LaGrange County, and named for Baron Frederick von Steuben, an officer of the American Revolutionary War. Geography According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 95.80%) is land and (or 4.20%) is water. Cities and towns *Angola *Ashley *Clear Lake *Fremont *Hamilton *Hudson *Orland Unincorporated towns *Helmer *Metz *Pleasant Lake *Steubenville Townships *Clear Lake *Fremont *Jackson *Jamestown *Millgrove *Otsego *Pleasant *Richland *Salem *Scott *Steuben *York Adjacent counties *Branch County, Michigan (north) *Hillsdale County, Michigan (northeast) *Williams County, Ohio (east) *DeKalb County (south) *Noble County (southwest) *LaGrange County (west) Major highways * Indiana Toll Road (Interstate 80 and Interstate 90) * Interstate 69 * U.S. Route 20 * State Road 1 * State Road 120 * State Road 127 * State Road 327 * State Road 427 * State Road 827 Attractions *Pokagon State Park, a popular state park with year-round activities is located entirely in the county. Climate and weather }} In recent years, average temperatures in Angola have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1981 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in August. Government The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code. County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes. Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government. Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court. County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county. Steuben County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district and in 2008 was represented by Mark Souder in the United States Congress. Demographics 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 }} As of the census of 2000, there were 33,214 people, 12,738 households, and 8,916 families residing in the county. The population density was 108 people per square mile (42/km²). There were 17,337 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile (22/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.19% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 2.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 36.1% were of German, 18.1% American, 10.7% English and 7.5% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 12,738 households out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $44,089, and the median income for a family was $50,567. Males had a median income of $35,300 versus $23,856 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,647. About 4.90% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.40% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over. Education Colleges and universities *Trine University School districts *Fremont Community Schools *Hamilton Community Schools *M S D of Steuben County *Prairie Heights Community School Corporation Notable people *Edgar "Pop" Buell (1913–1980), humanitarian aid worker in Laos in the 1960s and 1970s, was born in Richland Township and farmed there until he joined International Voluntary Services in 1960.See 1920 Federal Census, Richland Township, Steuben County, Indiana, page 5B, Enumeration District 161; and; [http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/star/images/239/2390902003A.pdf Theory and Practice of Communism in 1972 (Southeast Asia), Part I. Hearings of the House Committee on Internal Security, May 25, 1972, on northeastern Laos. pp. 1-4, 7761-7817. Testimony of Edgar M. Buell]. *Sile Doty, infamous robber, burglar, horse thief, highwayman, counterfeiter, and criminal gang leader. See also * The Herald Republican, daily newspaper covering Steuben County * National Register of Historic Places listings in Steuben County, Indiana References External links *Official Site of Steuben County, Indiana *Steuben County Tourism Bureau *Steuben County Community Foundation *Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County *Steuben County Genealogical Society Category:Steuben County, Indiana Category:Counties of Indiana Category:1837 establishments in Indiana Category:Settlements established in 1837